


The Call

by HopeStoryteller



Series: Gleefully Voicing This Eulogy [5]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Character Study, Developing Friendships, Gen, Muteness, Sign Language, Sly being a miserly little fly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28719375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeStoryteller/pseuds/HopeStoryteller
Summary: They do not knowwhythey are here, only that they must answer the horned figure's call. They mustreturncome to help them. They must savetheir siblingthe stranger they've never met.They do not know why this seems so familiar, but they cannot turn back now. They could not ignore the call if they tried.
Relationships: Hornet & The Knight (Hollow Knight), The Hollow Knight | Pure Vessel & The Knight, The Knight & Mantis Lords (Hollow Knight), The Knight & Quirrel (Hollow Knight)
Series: Gleefully Voicing This Eulogy [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028826
Comments: 73
Kudos: 85





	1. Cliffs

Atop cliffs battered and bruised by howling winds, a lonesome figure walks. The biting wind caresses their cloak in a manner that would make most shiver.

The knight does not shiver. Indeed, they seem not to be affected at all, though if the wind was any stronger it would threaten to blow them right off their feet. They are, after all, a little lacking in the height department.

The knight walks, and walks, and walks some more. And, at last, they stop. They have come to a sharp dropoff, one where they cannot see the bottom. Yet… beyond that… are those lights?

Civilization?

Have they, at last... reached their destination?

They do not dream often, and they sleep less. And yet the images are seared into their mind. A great horned figure, bound, with glowing orange eyes. A great horned figure that called, inexplicably, to them.

A great horned figure that  _ screamed _ for help.

The knight takes a moment longer to gauge their options, then jumps. They do not fear heights. And, one way or another, they  _ must _ get down there.

(They don’t have any idea why. There is only a faint tingling at the back of their mind, a lingering sense that they  _ have _ been here before. But when? They have no memory of this place, and all speculation of why ceases when they land.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> schoolteacher: you have to write all these prompts!
> 
> me:
> 
> me: k thanks imma figure out how many of these I can twist into Hollow Knight things. or anything else actually fun for that matter.


	2. Green

The knight is  _ not _ tired, physically.

The knight is  _ very _ tired, mentally. They have had a very long day—if it even  _ is _ the same day as when they arrived, they aren’t sure. They are very small, and have no money. It isn’t hard to imagine the amount of stress they are under.

Particularly since the  _ vast _ majority of others they encounter attack them on sight. Which is  _ really _ rather rude, come to think of it. They’re just a little bug (not a bug, not the same way the others are, they don’t know how they know this.) They don’t particularly  _ want _ to hurt anyone, but when everyone wants to hurt them, what choice do they have in return?

Besides, at least one of the three bugs that didn’t actually attack them locked them in a dusty old temple full of skulls until they blew some things up for him, which  _ really _ worked wonders on their already dwindling supply of trust. 

The other two more or less made up for the Snail Shaman, though. Quirrel was nice. So was Cornifer. The knight wonders if they’ll see either of them on the road ahead. 

So lost in their thoughts are they, dragging their feet slightly and wishing there was somewhere they could sit down, that they almost miss the distinct feeling of being watched.

Almost. They look up. Another bug stands there, atop a ledge they don’t think they can reach. Whoever they are— _ she, _ their mind supplies, and they don’t know why—she stares impassively down at them, clad in a cloak of red and any expression hidden behind a pale horned mask. But where their mask has curved horns, notched slightly at the tips, hers end in sharp points.

She holds a needle. The knight holds their nail, but hesitantly. They want to ask her who she is, what she is doing here, who  _ they _ are.

They do not, for they cannot. They have never been so lucky to bear a voice, and they are not about to obtain one now. Instead, they put away their nail, and take a step forward.

The red-cloaked bug turns and runs.

If they could, they’d beg her to wait. Instead, they shake their head to themself, and continue downward. They’ll have to catch up to her another way, and hope the verdant caverns connect.

(They do. They don’t regret it, in the end. They only regret that she hadn’t stayed longer to explain.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops I might do one of these for every goddamn prompt I've got for this class. eh, it's a good way to figure out my Ghost's character.
> 
> (and no, Caspian, I'm not going to be making Bug Knight cry. this time.)


	3. Village

Out of all the groups the knight has encountered in this dead kingdom so far, they like the mantises the most. This is about half to do with how genuinely  _ fun _ challenging their lords was, and half to do with the fact that they don’t attack them anymore. And, because math is not one of their strengths and they will never claim it to be one, it is also half to do with the shed mantis claw that allows them to climb up walls.

They do  _ not _ like what is beyond the door in the chamber of the mantis lords. So it is that they come sprinting back to the safety of the mantis village, nail caked in the orange that nearly everything in this kingdom bleeds.

The mantises, interestingly enough, never bled orange. The lords lounge on their thrones, seemingly disinterested—but that’s not true at all, is it? Their gazes follow the knight through the room.

The knight watches them in return. They wonder if the mantis lords have names. They themself are nameless, though Hornet had called them a ghost, and they think they would like being called that… even if she  _ was _ fully responsible for the reasons she called them that.

“Deepnest not to your liking, respected one?” One of the lords calls down.

The knight shakes their head vehemently. Another of the lords’ shoulders shake. Is she… crying? Why would she be crying? Deepnest wasn’t  _ that _ terrible, they’ve only died three times and so far none of the mantises have commented on them coming back in from the wrong direction. So far.

They wish they had some way to tell her not to cry, it’s okay, really!

“Deepnest,” the shaking lord gets out, “is not to  _ anyone’s _ liking anymore.”

She doesn’t sound sad. At least, not  _ that _ sad. Unless… is she  _ laughing? _ At  _ them? _ Rude, it’s not  _ their _ fault that they don’t have a light. Or the money to get one from the shopkeeper on the surface. And all their attempts at repurposing lights that no one else was using aren’t working very well.

“Rehni,” one of the lords says sharply.

“Yes, Dentata?” Her sister responds in the same tone.

The knight suppresses their own amused body-shake at the passive-aggressive whispering that ensues. They look back up as the argument increases in volume, and finds that the third lord—the one leaning back on the center throne—is snickering to herself as well. She makes a funny little gesture with her claws. The knight stares at her blankly, and continues to do so as she tries a couple of different, yet similar ones.

“Both of you, hush,” the center lord says, and the other two do so. She leans forward in her chair. “Respected one. You cannot speak. Am I correct?”

The knight nods.

“And yet you don’t understand any form of sign known to us.”

The knight cocks their head to the side slightly. They nod much more slowly this time.

Rehni seems to be catching on. “Gracilis, are you saying…” 

“Really, it’s what they  _ aren’t _ saying,” Dentata cuts in.

“Shut  _ up, _ you know what she means.”

“And the bugs of Hallownest called  _ us _ uncivilized,” Gracilis mutters darkly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have y'all figured out that I like the mantises yet-
> 
> (Same positioning as in that other fic where Hornet throws down with them for, mostly, shits n giggles. From their positioning when you challenge them, from left to right, there's Dentata, Gracilis, and Rehni.)


	4. Dirt

“Eighteen hundred geo,” repeats the one bug Ghost has met smaller than them, a miserly little fly named Sly. “No less.”

Ghost gives Sly a pleading look… which is rather impressive, given that their mask is largely incapable of expression. Unfortunately, the effort does not bear fruit.

“You have spent more than that with me before,” is Sly’s unimpressed response. “And I do not take payment in installments, nor on credit. It’s bad for business.”

The knight gives him an equally unimpressed look. They try to remember some of the sign the mantises taught them, and form what they’re pretty sure is the word  _ please. _

“Oh. So you  _ are _ capable of communicating in more than nods and squeaks,” Sly mutters, and Ghost lets out a noise that  _ definitely _ isn’t a squeak in righteous indignation. “My answer is still no. You need my lantern that badly?”

Ghost nods, even though they’re pretty sure they already know what he’s going to say.

“Well, I’m afraid I need my geo.”

They want to bang their head against the wall in frustration. Ghost instead settles for leveling Sly with another, even  _ more _ unimpressed look. They’re sorely tempted to go pay the mantises a visit just so they can learn more sign and properly ask Sly what in  _ Hallownest _ he is  _ doing _ with all that geo when nearly everyone is dead or Infected.

“Anything else I can help you with today?” Sly asks sweetly.

They consider giving him a gesture the mantis lords had used at each other, but think better of it. It’s  _ probably _ best to not use signs they don’t know the meaning of, and there is  _ probably _ a good reason none of them will tell Ghost the meaning of it. Instead, they turn and leave. They’ll scrounge up eighteen hundred geo from  _ somewhere. _

(And they’ll save putting their middle claw up for something other than a miserly shopkeep tinier than them.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> local bug knight is very tired and just wants to be able to see
> 
> (they are going to be _shocked_ when they find out he's the great nailsage. and they might have a minor heart attack when they run into him in godhome.)


	5. City

Does it always rain in this city? It sure seems like it, and while it’s very pretty from the outside, Ghost is so tired of getting wet. Their cloak is soaked, sticking to their body in a way they genuinely hate, and they’re tired, but that isn’t new. At last, they can’t hold it in any longer. They shake themself dry—or at least drier than they were. Someone nearby makes a surprised yelp, and they freeze in place.

“Oh,” their friend Quirrel says mildly. He tips his hat. “Hello there, my little friend. I didn’t see you there!”

They wave and sign, “Sorry.” In their defense, they didn’t see him there either.

Quirrel squints at their claw motions. “Is that… mantis sign? Who… how did you befriend them?”

Lacking the signs to properly convey their answer, Ghost pulls out their nail. It’s a testament to either Quirrel’s lack of self-preservation or his trust in them that he only eyes them curiously. They turn towards the window and extend their nail to the side in the same way they challenged the lords. They mime slashing and jabbing, then sheathe their nail and bow toward the imaginary mantis lords, and turn back to Quirrel.

“...ah,” Quirrel concludes. “You… challenged them? And they decided to teach you sign?”

Ghost nods, then makes a so-so gesture to answer his second question. They’re still learning, after all. They’re nowhere near good enough to ask their own questions, merely a bit better at answering those of others… though Gracilis does seem rather determined that they learn more than what they already know.

“Hm. Out of… curiosity, how does one go about challenging these mantises? I already understand mantis sign, but I would like to travel through their territory unmolested.”

Ghost considers how to respond for a moment, then unrolls their map of the Fungal Wastes. They trace a path through the village, then point toward where they drew in replicas of the lords’ thrones.

“Hm,” Quirrel says again. “I may just have to challenge them myself, then. I would like to—” He stops short, suddenly. In a smaller, quieter voice, he asks, “How do I know mantis sign?”

That is a good question, and not one Ghost has an answer to. They settle for shrugging, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly, and taking a seat next to him on the bench. They’ll both be off again soon. Maybe soon, one of them will find out why they know things they shouldn’t about this kingdom they’ve never been to… right?

(Ghost is progressively less and less sure of that fact.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ghost: amnesia? :(  
> quirrel: amnesia! :(


	6. Temple

Their sister awaits them outside their other sibling’s prison. It is strange to acknowledge Hornet as their sister, and stranger still to know their own history at last. Strange, and yet… nice, to have someone they can depend on. She hasn’t tried to kill them lately, and she probably saved their life at the edge of the kingdom. That’s more than enough as far as Ghost is concerned.

They sign a greeting. Hornet stiffens, but warily signs a hello right back. “Gracilis taught you, I take it?”

Ghost nods.

“I cannot say I am surprised.” Hornet laughs. It’s a light, strained thing. “Should you have any further business to take care of, I suggest you do so now. One way or another, the Infection will come to an end.”

She… doesn’t sound particularly happy about that fact. Ghost raises their claws and signs as much.

“I am not,” Hornet admits. “But what other course of action do we possess? In truth, I say  _ we, _ but it is up to you, in the end. The bindings within, meant to sustain your like, would only drain mine. I cannot follow you within, though if the moment presents itself I will aid as I am able.”

They stare at the entrance, and visibly shudder.  _ “I will have to kill the Hollow Knight.” _

“Yes,” Hornet agrees. “The choice is yours to replace them, and prolong this kingdom’s stasis… or cut out the Infection at its source. You possess the means to enact the end of your choosing. But… yes, whatever you choose, they will likely die. In truth, I suspect we will follow.”

_ “No other way?” _

“None that I know of.”

_ “Do…” _ They hesitate. _ “Do you have a preference?” _

“No. To prolong this kingdom’s stasis would only delay its end, for you are no more hollow than the knight shackled within. To destroy the Infection’s source would be to save a kingdom of what little now remains, a kingdom which may have never deserved to be saved.”

_ “...what?” _

Hornet shakes her head. “Do not concern yourself with my wonderings. Our birth-cursed sibling may endure for a little longer, and should they not…” She trails off. “Take all the time you need, little Ghost. This is not a decision I would have you undertake lightly.”

Ghost nods, signs a goodbye, and all but runs off. There has to be some other way, some way to stop the Infection without anyone else having to die. If it exists, they’ll find it. They won’t be able to live with themself if they don’t.

(Many,  _ many _ agonizing deaths later, they find it at last. Their first action as the God of Gods is to wrench control of the Infection away from its creator. Their second action is to destroy it—or so they believe.)

(The Infection, however, cannot be so easily controlled. Not by the Lord of Shades, nor even by its creator. And if one cannot control something so powerful as the Infection…  _ it _ controls  _ you. _ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure Ghost is absolutely fine in [A Light in the Dark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27975036/chapters/68517800). and by fine, I mean the "this is fine" dog but instead of the house being on fire it's dripping with Void. have a nice day, y'all!


End file.
